gnaw at

verb

gnawed at; gnawing at; gnaws at
Synonyms of gnaw atnext
: to be a source of worry or concern to (someone)
This problem has been gnawing at me day and night.
She says she's fine, but I can see that something is gnawing at her.

Examples of gnaw at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the peak nears, price increases both accelerate and become more volatile as doubt begins to gnaw at the edges of the frenzy. — Ruchir Sharma, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 The same dilemmas bedeviling the Abraham Lincoln have always gnawed at the core morale of every naval vessel that’s ever departed on a lengthy cruise beyond its homeport’s horizon. — Roger Archibald, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 But economists warn that longer-term problems are gnawing at the foundations — and could one day result in a crisis. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 But Miguel’s jealous suspicions miss the point of what’s gnawing at her. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gnaw at

Rhymes for gnaw at

See All Rhymes for gnaw at

Browse Nearby Words

gnaw
gnaw at
gnawer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gnaw at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw%20at. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All